About the Author
This story is written by Gita Wolf and Anushka Ravishankar, with cool drawings by Orijit Sen. Gita Wolf loves making books that tell real stories about kids and poor people. Anushka Ravishankar writes fun poems and tales for children. Orijit Sen is an artist who draws comic books that look like real pictures. Together, they turned true events about ragpicker kids into this easy comic story. It comes from their book "Trash – On Ragpicker Children and Recycling". They want us to see how hard life is for some children and feel like helping them.
What’s the Story About?
This is a real-life story told like a comic book. It shows how poor kids in cities have to work instead of going to school or playing. Let me tell it step by step, like watching a movie, so you can understand every part clearly.
Velu Runs Away from His Village
Velu is an 11-year-old boy from a small village. He has two sisters. Every day, they work hard cutting grass or something to earn money. But their father is a drunkard. He beats Velu badly and takes all the money to buy liquor. Velu feels fed up. One day, he packs a small bundle with a shirt, towel, and comb. He runs away without telling anyone. He walks to the station and jumps on the Kanyakumari Express train without a ticket. He hides from the ticket checker. For two days, he eats only peanuts and jaggery. He feels weak and scared.
Reaching the Big City – Chennai
The train pulls into Chennai Central Station. Wow! It's like a huge fair – thousands of people rushing everywhere. Velu feels wobbly on his legs. His stomach growls with hunger. He sits on a bench, feeling lost and sad. Rich people stare at his dirty clothes.
Meeting Jaya, the Ragpicker Girl
Suddenly, a girl about his age comes. She wears a big loose vest (banian) like a dress, no shoes, and carries a big sack. She picks up plastic cups from the ground. She looks at Velu and says, "Run away from home? Come, I'll show you where to get food." Velu doesn't talk much but follows her. He has no choice – he's too tired to go anywhere else.
Walking Through the Busy City
They cross a super busy road full of autos, buses, and smoke. Velu's bare feet burn on the hot black road. Back home, paths were cool mud. They pass big signs with English words and pictures of tyres and pens – Velu can't read them. They walk over a bridge. Jaya points to the Central Jail below and jokes, "Be careful, or you'll end up there!" Velu gets scared but says he did nothing wrong.
Finding Food in the Garbage
After walking far, they reach a wedding hall called "Sri Rajarajeshwari Prasanna Kalyana Mandapam". Rich people are eating inside. Jaya takes Velu behind to a big dustbin full of leftover food. She picks a soft banana and a vada (fried snack) that look clean. "Eat this," she says. "I only take good ones." Velu feels shy at first but eats hungrily. It tastes yummy! Jaya eats a banana too.
Jaya's Home in the Slum
They walk more to Triplicane near a dirty canal. Here are slums – crooked huts made from old tyres, plastic sheets, broken bricks, and wood. Not like Velu's village huts of mud and leaves. Jaya lives here with her family. She gives Velu an empty sack, a stick to poke rubbish, and old shoes without laces. "Now you work with me!" she says.
Learning to Be a Ragpicker
Jaya explains: They are ragpickers. Every day, they search dustbins for plastic, paper, glass, bottles, and metal. They sell it to a man called Jam Bazaar Jaggu. He pays a little money and sells to factories. Velu thinks, "Yuck! Picking garbage?" He wanted a government job! But he has no money or place to stay. So, he sighs and says, "Okay, till I find a better job." Jaya grins and pulls him to start working.
The story ends here. It makes us sad for Velu and Jaya but shows how they help each other. No happy ending yet – just real life.
Who’s Who in the Story
Here are the main people, like heroes in a sad adventure:
- Velu: The 11-year-old hero. Skinny, scared boy from village. Runs away for a better life but ends up picking garbage. He is quiet but brave.
- Jaya: Smart, tough girl same age as Velu. Ragpicker boss! Wears big banian, no fear. She helps Velu with food and job. Kind like a big sister.
- Velu's Father: Bad guy. Drinks too much, beats kids, steals their money. That's why Velu left.
- Jam Bazaar Jaggu (mentioned): The scrap buyer uncle. Pays money for rubbish.
- Velu's Sisters (mentioned): They work hard too but stay home.
These kids show us real fighters in tough times.
Themes and Moral
Themes (Main Ideas):
- Child Labour: Many kids work in garbage instead of school because of poor families.
- Village vs City Life: Village is simple but hard; city looks shiny but full of danger, heat, and dirt.
- Poverty and Survival: Poor kids must find food and home any way – even eating from bins.
- Kindness Among Poor: Jaya shares with a stranger. Friends help in bad times.
- Abuse at Home: Beating and drinking make kids run away.
Moral (Lesson to Learn):
Don't let children work like this! Rich people and government should help poor kids go to school, give food, and stop child labour. Be kind to street kids – share a smile or roti. If you see wrong, tell teachers or police. Hard work is good, but kids need play and books first. This story wakes us up to fix these problems.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are easy words from the story. I used simple meanings and sentences like you talk daily:
- Ragpicker: Kid who picks useful things from garbage to sell. The ragpicker girl found a bottle in the bin.
- Wobbly: Shaky, can't stand straight. After no food, Velu felt wobbly on his feet.
- Grimace: Funny bad face when hungry or pain. Velu made a grimace holding his empty stomach.
- Banian: Big loose vest shirt. Jaya wore a dirty banian as her dress.
- Squashy: Soft and mushy. The banana was squashy but tasty.
- Slum: Poor area with bad huts from waste. They live in a slum near the dirty water.
- Jaggery: Sweet brown lump from sugarcane. Velu ate jaggery on the train.
- Porter: Man who carries bags at station for money. Porters shouted at the busy platform.
- Dustbin: Big garbage bin. Food from dustbin saved their hunger.
- Trickle: Drop slowly. Sweat trickled down Velu's hot face.
Make sentences with these – it will help in exams and talks!